Biggles Buys the Sky
Biggles Buys the Sky is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy Issue 331, 9th June 1934. The story was subsequently gathered and published in 1935 in the Boys' Friend Library edition of Biggles Learns to Fly where it spanned chapters 15 and 16. The original Modern Boy short story was divided into four sections with subtitles "Toss for It!", A Perforated Wreck!, The Black-Crossed Enemy and The Miracle!. The 1935 BFL edition split the story at the beginning of the third section and used the headings A Perforated Wreck and The Black-Crossed Enemy. Subsequent editions such as Brockhampton, Armada and Red Fox recombined the two chapters into a single story under the heading The Camera. The Norman Wright edition reverted to the original format in The Modern Boy as one chapter, using the original title and subtitles. Synopsis Major Paynter cannot be seen to be condoning Biggles' unorthodox methods of using bombs on an artillery target in the previous story, Biggles' Bulls-Eye. The C.O. "punishes" Biggles by sending him to photograph the target. Mark Way has been grounded by the M.O. so he has to take along a new, inexperienced gunner. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Characters *Biggles *Mark Way *Major Paynter *Todd *Captain Mapleton *Captain Mahoney *Captain Culver *Harris Aircraft *F.E.2b *Sopwith Pup *Albatros *Bristol Fighter Places Visited *169 Squadron, St. Peille Mentioned Editorial Changes Other Research Notes *Aerial Victories: Biggles 2 and 2 probable *The Two Probables: |Biggles comes to the asssitance of another F.E.2b being attacked by a superior force of Albatrosses. The fight was "red-hot while it lasted". One Albatros went down in flames and another glided down out of control with engine out of action. The text is not clear whether Biggles' F.E. or the other one scored the kills. Biggles considered his gunner Harris had acquitted himself well on his first sortie so he might have scored one or both. *The Two Kills: **One Albatross, the red and silver Albatros which had plagued Biggles since Biggles' Bulls-Eye. Biggles shot him down after it had killed Harris. "The Albatros jerked upwards.... A tongue of scarlet flame licked along its side." **The other, also an Albatros, was pursuing Biggles. Biggles turned around a balloon wire and it followed and as a result, had its portside top and bottom wings torn off. And the pilot was "flung clean over the centre section". Whether this is granted as a combat victory to Biggles is a matter of opinion. In Biggles' favour, this was a premeditated "trap" and it was through Biggles' agency that the Albatros was brought down. Biggles turned around the balloon wire when "an idea struck him" and he witnessed "just what he hoped would happen". Incongruities *Readers might have been puzzled by the conversation between Biggles and Mahoney at the end of the story. Biggles and Mahoney seem to know each other quite well. Mahoney says "Well, we're quits now," and "We want you in 266. The Old manhas already sent in application for your transfer." *These remarks only make sense if the original text of Knights of the Sky has been read in its original sequence in Modern Boy where it was published 3 stories before. In Knights, Biggles engages in a large scale battle and then lands behind enemy lines to rescue Mahoney. He flies Mahoney back to 266 where he is introduced to Major Mullen. Mullen says Biggles is the kind of pilot he wants in 266 and would make a request for him. *From the 1935 BFL edition and until the Red Fox edition of 1992, the story Knights of the Air had been heavily edited and sent to the end of the book as The Dawn Patrol. The entire story had been recast so that Biggles is already in 266 and there is no talk of Mullen wanting him. *However the editors forget to remove the tantalizing references in Buys the Sky to what happened in Knights of the Air. Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *The Bristol Fighter is only just being introduced, which historically, took place around April 1917 for most R.F.C. Squadrons. Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 331, 9th June 1934 *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Boy's Friend Library 1935 (as Chapter 15: A Perforated Wreck, Chapter 16: The Black-Crossed Enemy) *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Brockhampton, 1955 (Chapter 10) *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Armada, 1963, and subsequent reprints (Chapter 10) *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Severn House, 1980 *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Knight, 1986, and subsequent reprints *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Red Fox, 1992, and subsequent reprints (Chapter 11) *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Norman Wright, 2010 References Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories